With the end of the auction, the people within the auction hall began to gradually disperse, but outside Lin Ran's private box, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively.
The first to arrive, naturally, was the woman from the Tian She Fu—Green Elder.
With Dou Qi wings flapping behind her, she descended straight to Lin Ran's box. Just as she was about to push the door open and enter, a thought seemed to strike her. She paused, and then smiled charmingly.
"Esteemed sir, this one is Green Elder from Tian She Fu. I've come to pay my respects."
"Wait a moment," came Xiao Yixian's voice from within the room. "There are still others on their way. It'll be easier to speak with everyone present."
Green Elder paused, a brief flash of displeasure flitting through her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. "As the esteemed one says."
In just a few breaths' time, Gu Te, Ao Tuo, and the others also arrived. At the tail end of the group stood the chairman of the Heiyan Auction House, fidgeting nervously and wiping sweat from his forehead from time to time.
Moments later, the door opened.
Xiao Yixian stood there, her eyes briefly sweeping over the gathered crowd. Her gaze lingered on Lin Fei, Xue Mei, and Green Elder for a moment before she gave a soft snort and turned back into the room.
"Come in. Don't keep the young master waiting."
One by one, they entered the room. Under the soft, dim lighting, the room—already not especially large—immediately became a bit crowded with the number of people filing in.
Yet no one seemed to mind.
Their eyes all simultaneously turned toward the young man seated calmly at the central seat.
'So young!'
Green Elder's pupils constricted slightly. Lin Ran's youthful appearance and the rich lifeforce surging within him far exceeded her expectations. But she quickly composed herself and let her seductive gaze flow over him as she chuckled softly.
"Esteemed one, you truly are a remarkable figure—so young, yet so accomplished."
Lin Ran merely opened his eyes calmly. His gaze briefly swept over Green Elder, before settling on the Heiyan Auction House's chairman, who was trying his best to shrink into the background.
Xiao Yixian, reading the atmosphere, took the initiative to speak. "Chairman Wang, the auction has concluded. Are you here to settle accounts?"
"Y-yes, exactly."
Chairman Wang's forehead was slick with sweat as he pulled out a purple-gold card and a spatial ring from his sleeve. The card was engraved with five differently colored lines, a sign of its high-tier status.
This was a Five-Mark Purple-Gold Card, the kind only Dou Ling powerhouses were typically allowed to possess. Within Heiyan City, where Dou Ling experts were already rare, this was as prestigious as it got.
"Esteemed one, the three pills you consigned brought in a total of six million gold coins. After subtracting the eight hundred thousand gold coins spent on your purchases and our ten percent commission fee, your final earnings come to four point six million gold coins."
"The remaining items are stored in this ring."
Lin Ran nodded slightly.
Xiao Yixian respectfully stepped forward to take the card and the ring. After briefly checking the contents, she took out some of the purchased herbs and presented them to Lin Ran.
With a flick of his hand, Lin Ran took only the Dragonblood Velvet Chrysanthemum and the Seventh-Tier Nether Serpent Python's blood into his own ring, leaving the rest.
Seeing this, Xiao Yixian understood at once and stored the remaining materials and the purple-gold card into her own storage ring.
This auction had gone exceptionally well.
Other than the two key ingredients Lin Ran had been searching for, nearly everything else was poisonous in nature—just what Xiao Yixian needed to further hone her own techniques.
But the way this scene looked to the others in the room was... astounding.
All of that value. Yet Lin Ran handed it over to a maidservant as casually as if he were giving her candy.
Was this girl truly just a maid? Or... was Lin Ran's background so deep that he didn't even bother to care about such "trifles"?
"Daren, now that the trade has concluded, I shall take my leave."
Chairman Wang wiped his brow again and bowed respectfully. As a mere Da Dou Shi, being in a room filled with so many prominent figures was too overwhelming for him.
Receiving Lin Ran's casual nod, he hurriedly withdrew.
Lin Ran then turned his gaze back to Green Elder.
"What kind of pill do you want me to refine?"
"A Sixth-Tier pill—wait, are you saying... you'll be refining it yourself?"
Green Elder's flirtatious expression froze. Her voice rose slightly as her eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're an alchemist?"
"Are you doubting my young master?" Xiao Yixian's eyes narrowed and she was ready to explode.
"No need," Lin Ran said calmly, lifting a hand.
A small flame—blazing with a radiant red-golden hue—suddenly rose in his palm.
"A physical flame... that's the sign of a Fourth-Tier alchemist... wait!" muttered Frank, eyes narrowing as he focused on something within the fire.
There, suspended inside the flame, was an ancient alchemical insignia—an aged cauldron design.
Atop the cauldron, six dazzling golden lines shimmered.
"A Six-Lined Golden Emblem... a Sixth-Tier alchemist badge!"
Ao Tuo shouted aloud.
Everyone in the room was struck speechless.
Six golden lines—that was the symbol of a certified Sixth-Tier alchemist, an elite figure in all of Dou Qi Continent.
And yet, it was in the hands of a boy who looked barely seventeen or eighteen!
"A... Sixth-Tier alchemist..."
Lin Fei stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief. Her legs were shaking—she nearly collapsed if not for Xue Mei's support.
This wasn't just a genius. This was a monster.
Even across the entire northwest continent, there was no precedent for such a young alchemist achieving Sixth-Tier status!
"That badge..." Green Elder's seductive posture vanished. For the first time, uncertainty clouded her expression.
She stared at the insignia inside the flame.
"Daren... could this badge possibly be issued by the Dan Ta?"
"Dan Ta?!"
Even Ao Tuo and Frank looked stunned.
"The Dan Tower..." Lin Ran muttered. His brow lifted slightly in interest.
"You recognize the Dan Tower?"
"Yes, that badge was issued by those old fossils over at Dan Ta," Lin Ran said nonchalantly. "Though I dislike the look of the green-and-gold version they gave me, so I don't really wear it."
He closed his palm, and the flame—and the insignia—vanished into thin air.
"Now, what pill do you need me to refine? You should already know the rules we alchemists abide by."
His voice was calm, but the impact was thunderous.
Everyone in the room, even Xiao Yixian, was left stunned.
Dan Tower...
Her young master was actually a Dan Tower–certified Sixth-Tier alchemist?!
(End of Chapter)